The Merchant of Death
by Berserkerlord
Summary: I really don't know how to summarize this story. You will have to read it then form an opinion. Steam punked Homestuck AU. Multiple pairings
1. Chapter 1

Disclaime: I don't own homestuck

Here is the first chapter of my steamstuck fanfiction. I'm not really sure how to go about this but I will give it my best shot.

**_Just so we're clear in this world there are both humans and trolls_**

**_The story will focus primarily on the trolls and a human OC who will serve as sort of a minor antagonist/ anti-hero_**

I hope you enjoy

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Alvard was awakened by a pounding on the door to his cabin.

"Ugh, what could be so important that I have to woken in the middle of the night?" He asked himself as he got up and walked to the door and opened it to see his first mate Sven. Sven was a man of average high, nowhere near close to Alvard's towering hight of six foot six, but he still managed to cut an intimidating figure with his close cut blond hair and a wicked looking scar crossing his right eye.

"What is it Sven? And why can't it wait till morning?" Alvard asked as he wearily propped himself up against the doorframe.

"Sir, I believe that you would like to know that we shall soon make landfall in the port of Alternia city." Sven said as he saluted his captain.

"Hm, it seems we have made better time than expected. Have the men prepared to disembark and make sure they know to be on their best behavior." Alvard said as Sven nodded and briskly walked in the direction of the crew sleeping quarters. Alvard waited till Sven was gone then closed the door and made his way over to a large full-length mirror. He stared into the mirror and saw his slightly disheveled bone white hair and decided that as long as he was up he might as well get ready for the coming day his eyes lingered, however, on a small ridge that he could see peeking over his shoulder, he reached over his shoulder and felt the top of the large x shaped scar he knew marred his back, it had become a habit of his to rub the top of the scar, which began at each of his shoulders and ran down to the back of his hips intersecting in the middle. Every day he would feel the top of the scar, as if expecting that it would be gone even though he knew it would never leave him for the rest of his life.

He quickly stepped into a bathroom that was next to his room and got into the shower, making sure that the water was a good temperature before getting in. He sighed as he got out and put on his light brown trench coat and black gloves, he also pulled his mask over his head before he put on a fedora the same color as his trench coat. (AN: It's the same as Rorschach's outfit except the mask is completely white instead of constantly changing.)

As he walked onto the deck he was hit by the sight of a flurry of activity. Even though the sun had not yet risen, and probably wouldn't for another hour, the crew of his ship were rushing about the deck. They were a rough looking bunch, most of them at least one visible scar and one or two were missing a limb, however he would trust any of them with his life. His crew was one of the few things he would never risk, one of the others was his ship, it was a marvel of technology, capable of making an around the world trip in only a few weeks. The ship had three levels; a bottom which was used to store cargo, a middle level where most of the crew slept and had a door which led to the lower deck, and finally the uppermost level which was where his cabin and the steering wheel for the ship was located.

He took a spyglass that was offered to him by one of his lookouts and peered through it and, sure enough, he saw the dock of the prosperous city of Alternia in his sights. He handed the spyglass back to the crewman and crossed his arms behind his back. "Well Alternia, I hope you are ready for me, because whether you are or not I'm coming." He whispered under his breath as his ship drew him ever closer to the new city and more importantly, the new base of operations for his weapon dealing empire.

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**So…what do you think? Please review and give me your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Homestuck**

_**Remember to review and give me your opinions.**_

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"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" These were the words exclaimed by Karkat Vantas as he ran through the crowded streets of Lowtown. He had to leave his carriage at the entrance to Lowtown because the streets were crowded with people. The reason he was in such a hurry was because a meeting had been scheduled and he couldn't find Gamzee. "The one time I need to find that fuckass and he's nowhere to be found." He said as he rushed towards Gamzee's house in Lowtown. When he got there he burst through the door to find Gamzee lyring on a couch in his usual drug induced daze.

"What's up motherfucking best friend?" Asked Gamzee as he got up to go meet his moirail.

"There's a meeting fuckass! That's what's fucking up! Now come on." Said Karkat as he dragged Gamzee out of his house after making sure the door was locked. He dragged the drugged indigo blood back to the coach that awaited them at the entrance to Lowtown. "Hurry up, if we're late it'll be on my head!" Karkat yelled to the coachman who cracked the reigns, which activated the mechanical horses who began to pull the coach through the streets of Midtown and towards the glittering estates of Hightown.

"So what's this meeting all about?" Asked Gamzee as they drew ever closer to their destination, the estate of the duchess Feferi Peixes.

"Hell if I know, you know they don't tell me a fucking thing." Said Karkat as the coach lurched to a stop. The door was opened and they stepped out onto the gravel pathway that led to the duchess' estate. They walked in silence towards the massive building. It was four stories high and nearly twice as long as it was tall. They were escorted inside by a servant who led them to a brightly lit room with a circular table and twelve chairs surrounding it. Each seat was marked with a different symbol. Currently only four of the seats were occupied. One by Aradia Megido, one by Sollux Captor, one by Eridan Ampora, and one by Feferi Peixes. (AN: If you want details about the characters then read the character bios that I posted separately.)

"Of course they tell me not to be late but everyone else and their fucking dog is." Complained Karkat as he and Gamzee sat down in their respective seats.

"Actually we told you to be here early becauthe we expected Gamzee to be high of hith ath tho he would forget and you would go get him." Lisped Sollux.

"Well isn't that just fan-fucking-tastic." Said Karkat, but before he could launch into a long and most likely profanity laden rant the door swung open and several more people came in.

First came Equius Zahhak who was carrying a book that was most likely filled with designs for new robots. He was followed closely by his moirail Nepeta Leijion who practically bounced into the room. Next came Tavros Nitram who had to prop himself up with a cane because he was still getting used to his mechanical legs. He was followed by Kanaya Maryam and Vriska Serket, Kanaya walking slightly ahead of Vriska to make sure that Vriska couldn't trip Tavros. Lastly came Terezi Pyrope, who rhythmically tapped her cane against the floor, despite the fact that everyone in the room knew she didn't need it.

"All right noww that evveryone is here wwe can get started. Since Terezi wwas the one wwho insisted on this meeting she can explain." Eridan said as all eyes turned to the blind troll.

"Hehehe. Thank you Eridan." Terezi said as she grinned, revealing her sharp teeth. "As some of you may have noticed crime has decreased sharply in the last couple of weeks." Her statement was met with nods from everyone seated at the table, reports of criminal activities had dropped sharply recently. "As much as I wish I could take credit for this I'm afraid that it might be the calm before the storm. Most of these criminals haven't been arrested or stopped committing crimes; they've fled the city all together. There can only be one reason for that." She said as she pressed a button that caused a holographic image of a man in a trench coat with a white mask covering his face to pop up.

"Who's this douchebag?" Asked Karkat as the group looked at the slowly rotating hologram.

"Hush, Karkles, I was getting to that." Said Terezi as some of the trolls stifled a laugh at hearing her nickname for Karkat. "Her's called Obscurus and he's one of the most powerful people in the world. His primary business is the illegal sale, transport, and manufacturing of weapons. It's estimated that nearly a third of all illegally traded weapons pass through his hands at some point."

"Well, uh, then why hasn't he been, uh, caught?" Asked Tavros.

"Despite our best efforts no one has ever been able to get evidence that implicates him. Efforts are also hindered by the fact that he never takes off his mask in the presence of people who aren't members of his inner circle, so we don't even know what he looks like. His mask is made of a fiber that responds to his mental commands so if he ever needs to eat or drink he just has his mask open a hole for his mouth. We've been able to figure this out because he smokes, _a lot_." Terezi said as a video showed Obscurus' mask shifting until a hole revealed his mask.

"Ok, but what the fuck does he have to do with the dropping crime rates?" Said Karkat as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Simple Karkles, Obscurus is known for ruthlessly eliminating any possible opponents so many of the criminals flee the area when he sets up a base of operations." Terezi said. The trolls' eyes widened as they realized the implications of her words. "That's right, he's setting up shop here. And from what some of Nepeta's spies have reported this isn't a minor base, he's coming here himself." She said with an ominous tone in her voice.

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Man this chapter took up a lot more space in my notebook.

_**Remember to review and leave your opinions. Otherwise how am I supposed to improve?**_


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HOMESTUCK

Please review.

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LAST TIME

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"Simple Karkles, Obscurus is known for ruthlessly eliminating any possible opponents so many of the criminals flee the area when he sets up a base of operations." Terezi said. The trolls' eyes widened as they realized the implications of her words. "That's right, he's setting up shop here. And from what some of Nepeta's spies have reported this isn't a minor base, he's coming here himself." She said with an ominous tone in her voice.

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NOW

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Alvard took a deep breath as he stepped off his ship's gangplank onto one of the many docks of Alternia. He then immediately took a cigarette out of his pocket and placed it into his mouth, having his mask open a hole for him to do so. He then dug into one of the many pockets into his trench coat and pulled out a lighter, flicking it on with the ease that only came from a lot of practice. He lit his cigarette and placed the lighter back in his pocket as he began to walk through the slums that formed the area of Alternia known as Lowtown.

Alternia was built on a hill, and the higher up you were on the hill, the richer and more influential you were. The poor gathered in the slums of Lowtown near the docks. Artisans and other average residents also lived in Midtown, which, as its name indicated, was halfway up the hill. Many influential members of Alternian society actually had residences in Midtown where they lived. And on the very top of the hill stood the estates of Hightown, which dominated the skyline. It was there that you would find the duchess and other high-ranking nobles.

Alvard's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a hand in his pocket; his arm shot out and grabbed the wrist of the attempted pickpocket. He yanked the perpetrator forward and raised his eyebrows, though no one could see it because of his mask, when he saw that the would-be thief was just a young boy. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight; he was human (AN: Humans and Trolls live on the same planet in this universe), as was obvious by his lack of horns, he was wearing a ratty brown jacket that looked like it had seen better days and brown pants with numerous places where holes had been sewn up with other fabric, he had a look in his eyes that Alvard recognized, it was the look of someone who knew what they were doing was wrong, but needed to do it because there was no other option. He kept a firm grasp on the kid's wrist and then bent down so that he was face to face with the novice criminal. "Kid, you've got skill, I barely even felt that, but a work to the wise, never try and steal from someone in the slums, they're always expecting it." He said as he took out a small white card with one hand and slipped it into the boy's jacket pocket. "If you want to make something of yourself, just follow the directions on that card, if you do that you'll make more in a week than you could in two months of robbing these bums." He said as he let go of the boys wrist, as expected the boy scampered off quickly, knowing he wouldn't be able to risk stealing in this part of town for a while. "_I really hope the kid takes my advice, he has a lighter hand than most professional thieves, it would be a shame to kill him and rob the world of such talent._" Alvard thought as he made his way to an old abandoned warehouse.

He took out a key from around his neck and unlocked the door, the warehouse was completely empty, but he wasn't here for the warehouse. He went to a corner and searched around for the tell tale marking. He eventually found it, a symbol that would only mean something to a member of his organization or someone who had knowledge of his operations. It was a rough sketch of a cloud, it looked as if some bored adolescent had carved it there, but that changed when Alvard put his hand on the symbol. It glowed faintly and then the portion of floor that Alvard was on began to descend. The entire section of floor was really just one big elevator, and he and members of his organization could operate it.

As the elevator descended another panel slid over it, covering the open space of ground so that no one would be able to find his hideout just by accidentally stumbling upon a giant hole in the ground.

After almost a minute of constant descending the platform halted, and Alvard stepped through a door that opened in front of him. The door led to a large circular area that was looked a lot like a hangar. His crew was already there, unloading the final additions to the base, specifically barricades and areas that they could crouch behind to avoid enemy fire. This portion of the base was just an area that could be used to buy time if people managed to break in.

This particular base had been in construction for almost a year, it had taken a lot of bribes, but eventually he had been able to secure an entire section of no longer used Alternian sewer system. A newer system had been built that rendered the old one obsolete, so the massive pipes of the old system became havens for various criminals who wanted to avoid detection. The base also had another feature that made it valuable, it had one pipeline that led to a large cavern several miles away from the city, this cavern would provide a safe loading and unloading zone for Alvard's ships.

As he walked past the bustling men they each stood at attention and saluted him before quickly returning to their work, he offered a brief nod in response. These men didn't just salute him out of habit, he had made sure to foster bonds of respect with his crew. This made them much less likely to desert him.

He exited the area and went down a long hallway, which led to the main portion of the base; it was a cavern that could hold a decent sized ship. Most of the space was taken up by boxes that were labeled with names of various types of weapons and ammunition. He went up to a catwalk had several hallways leading off to various portions of the base that were used by his crew when they were not busy. He went down one of the various tunnels and arrived at a large wooden door, one of the few actual doors in the entire base. He opened it to reveal his new office; it was a simple looking room with a large desk dominating the center and bookcases along the walls. On the desk was a familiar sight, a large brown hard cover book. This was the ledger that contained nearly records of all of his "business" transactions. He always brought it with him when he changed bases because if someone managed to get their hands on it they could turn it into the police and his entire operation would come down around his ears.

He took his place at his desk and opened the ledger to continue his last entry, documenting the shipping of several crates of rifles and ammunition to an organized crime syndicate. "_One thing about crime lords, they always pay their debts._" He thought to himself as he began to write down the price, cost, and profit gained from the transaction.

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TIME SKIP

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It had been two weeks since he had arrived to Alternia, and the transition had gone quite smoothly. His men had managed to install several workbenches were they would work to assemble weapons. Both orders and money had been pouring in.

The young thief that he had met the first day had not been a disappointment either. After two days the boy showed up, having used the card to find the hideout. He was now in Alvard's employ and had proven to be quite useful, spying on the people and stealing documents from messengers. Alvard had several skilled thieves in his employ, and they all said the same thing when they saw the boy in action, he had natural skill in the art of theft.

Alvard's musings were interrupted by a knock on his door. It opened slightly to reveal the face of the young thief himself. "Yes what is it?" Asked Alvard as he continued to write in his ledger. The young boy quickly strode up to his desk and placed a piece of paper on it. He then promptly turned around and strode back out, shutting the door behind him.

"And just what is this?" Mumbled Alvard as he picked up the piece of paper and read through it. It was an invitation to a masquerade party that would be hosted by the duchess Feferi herself. "She must be trying to keep up appearances, she knows that I'm here, but doesn't want to appear worried." He said. He pressed a button that went directly to the quarters of Sven. "Sven come here, I require your assistance." He said into the speaker that was installed in his desk. After a few seconds Sven rushed in and immediately stood at attention.

"Sven, do I have anything scheduled for tomorrow night?" Alvard asked, already knowing the answer.

"No sir." Sven responded immediately.

"Good, I do think that I'll be going to a party." Alvard said as he handed Sven the piece of paper. As Sven read it a smirk grew on his face. If there was one thing he knew his boss loved doing, it was making a big entrance.

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_**Well there you go.**_

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	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own homestuck

Remember to review people

**AN: JUST TO BE CLEAR THE TROLLS ARE WEARING WHAT THEIR ANCESTORS WORE**

**(suggested song for this chapter welcome to the masquerade by thousand foot krutch.)**

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LAST TIME

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"Sven, do I have anything scheduled for tomorrow night?" Alvard asked, already knowing the answer.

"No sir." Sven responded immediately.

"Good, I do think that I'll be going to a party." Alvard said as he handed Sven the piece of paper. As Sven read it a smirk grew on his face. If there was one thing he knew his boss loved doing, it was making a big entrance.

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NOW

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"Sir do we really need to wear these masks?" Asked Sven as the carriage they were in ambled along the road to the duchess' palace. Sven was wearing a black suit and a golden mask with a long cone shaped nose.

"It is a masquerade Sven. Do you want to be the one who sticks out like a sore thumb because they aren't wearing a mask?" Alvard responded as he took a drag from his cigarette. He was dressed similarly in a black suit, however his mask only covered the upper half of his face and had no holes for his eyes, making Sven once again wonder how his boss managed to see.

After a few minutes of traveling in silence the carriage lurched to a halt and the door was opened for them. The two got out and began the walk down the gravel pathway to the duchess' mansion, when they arrived at the door they were stopped by two guards.

"We have to see your invitation." Said the one on the right as he stepped forward.

"Of course you do." Replied Soren as he pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to the guard. This was the most dangerous part of their plan, the invitation was forged, of course, he had had the original one that he had first received returned so that there would be no suspicion. But if these guards could recognize a fake invitation then the entire plan would be ruined.

The guards looked over the invitation and showed it to his fellow guardsman but they eventually couldn't see through the deception and returned it to Alvard's waiting hand. "Everything seems in order, please enjoy the celebration sir." The guard said as he returned to his post, awaiting other arrivals.

"That was surprisingly easy." Said Sven, who had not expected the forgery to work.

"First rule of false documentation, if people don't expect a forged document they will miss the signs of one, even if it's right in front of their faces." Alvard said as they walked through the winding hallways of the mansion until they reached the doors of the ballroom, which were opened for them by two servants. They waited for one or two seconds before walking into the room.

The room itself was decorated lavishly, with banners hung from the high ceilings. Most of the occupants in the room were trolls, even masks could not hide their unique horns, but several occupants were humans. At the sound of the doors slamming shut many of the eyes in the room turned towards them, and Alvard was glad that he had dyed his white hair a more conspicuous black. As many of the people who had looked at them turned back to what they were doing Alvard took the opportunity to observe his surroundings. They were standing at the top of a grand staircase which was no doubt made for grand entrances. A stage had been erected on one side of the room; no doubt for the duchess to make some grand speech that she had planned. There was a long table set across from the stage that had plates containing both troll and human food.

After a few minutes the main group of guests arrived, among the arrivals were Equius Zahhak, Nepeta Leijon, Karkat Vantas, and several other high ranking Alternian officials. Alvard and Sven split up to mingle in the crowd so they wouldn't seem so inconspicuous. Luckily both of them had mastered the art of starting up meaningless conversations while waiting for something to happen. As they moved around they discreetly dropped several small white orbs in areas where they wouldn't be disturbed, under the table, in corners, and in front of the stage. A few minutes after they had finished placing all of the orbs the duchess herself entered. Conversations ceased as trolls and humans alike focused on the troll aristocrat. She made a dismissing motion with her hand and people returned to their conversations, albeit in a more subdued manor. She walked over to a group of eleven other trolls.

"Time to put the next phase of the plan into action." Alvard thought as he moved over to the group of trolls. He could probably name each of them despite their masks; he had memorized the horns of each of the twelve highest-ranking trolls in Alternia. But before he could implement the next phase of his plan music began to play and many members paired off and began to dance. Equius went off with Aradia, Karkat went off with Terezi, Eridan went off with Feferi, and surprisingly Vriska managed to get Tavros to go with her. This left Sollux, Kanaya, Nepeta and Gamzee remaining, although this temporarily delayed Alvard's plans since he needed to ask Feferi for temporary permission to use the stage for his plan to move on. But he decided to adapt his plan to the situation; he moved towards the four trolls and then lightly coughed to get their attention.

"Oh hello, do you need something?" Asked Kanaya. It was rare for trolls and humans to converse due to their different societies. Finding a human who was both willing to talk to a troll and even be the one who begins a conversation with one was rare.

"Well yes, I wished to ask the Duchess for a brief use of her stage, but seeing as how she is currently indisposed I decided to come over here and wait." Alvard said.

"And jutht why exactly do you need to use the thtage?" Sollux asked, curious as to the intentions of this unknown human.

"Well let me explain mister Captor." He said getting surprised looks from some of the trolls. "Don't act so surprised your horns are a dead giveaway." He explained. "Now, the reason I need the stage is because I am a trader and since I am new to the city I haven't been seeing very much business. As such I would like to announce my services so that people could be aware of my services." Alvard finished.

"Well I don't think that sounds too unreasonable." Said Feferi, who had noticed the man talking to her friends and, curious about his intentions, had come over to see what he wanted. The other trolls gave a brief start, as they had not noticed her come over, but Alvard merely gave a sweeping bow that was almost insultingly exaggerated. It caused Eridan, who had followed Feferi, to narrow his eyes.

"Thank you madam, I would not like to waste anyone's time, so it would be greatly appreciated if I could make my announcement immediately." Alvard said, Feferi nodded and motioned for one servant to come over, and she whispered in his ear to have the stage cleared briefly. Once the order had been completed all eyes were on the stage, wondering why the music had stopped. Alvard calmly stepped onto the stage and turned to face the crowd, with Sven standing just to his right. He cleared his throat and folded his hand behind his back before beginning to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen I have little doubt that many of you have heard of me, and I have no doubt that you have all heard of my services." He said, causing many people to wonder who this person was, to presume that they all new of him. "Ah yes, I see many of you are a bit confused, and rightly so, so let me introduce myself." He said as he pulled out a small detonator and clicked the button, causing each of the orbs he and Sven had been dropping to erupt in smoke, filling the entire room. Guards, who had been alerted by the screams of the panicked trolls and humans, and who had heard the hissing noises the orbs had made when they had discharged their smoke rushed into the room and immediately started coughing and bumping into people because it was almost impossible to see. When the smoke finally cleared Alvard was still standing on the stage, but he had somehow managed to change into his regular attire, trench coat, mask and all. People's eyes widened, especially the twelve trolls who had been briefed on his arrival.

"Now I believe that you know who I am. For the few of you who may not, my name is Obscurus, I am the most powerful crime lord in the world." He explained, seeming to ignore the guards that had rushed onstage and formed a ring around him and Sven. They were wary about getting to close for two reasons. The first was that they didn't know what he was capable of, if anyone spoke this calmly about revealing themselves to be one of the most wanted men in the world, then they probably had a plan in place. The second, and much more prominent, reasons was because Sven, who hadn't managed to change out of his formal wear, was holding a massive rectangular club studded with spikes and looking like he couldn't wait for someone to come into range.

"Calm down Sven after all there is no reason that we can't discuss this like gentlemen." Alvard said, tossing the butt of his now finished cigarette on the ground and lighting a new one. "Now many of you might be wondering why I felt it necessary to infiltrate your little party. Well it's quite simple, I want to make you all aware of the fact that I have chosen to make your fair little city my new base of operations." He said, causing some of the people to gasp. "The other reason was to show that now that I am here, nothing is safe." He continued calmly.

"Well you don't seem to realize that you are surrounded do you?" Asked Terezi as she and Karkat walked onto the stage.

"Well miss Pyrope, I do understand this quite well, but you of all people should know, that I always have a plan. I bid you all good day, and thank you duchess, for the use of your stage." He said as he bowed in the direction of Feferi and her friends before he tossed another small orb on the ground, causing him and Sven to be concealed by smoke, the guards, thinking they had an opening charged, but when the smoke dissipated, both Alvard and Sven were gone.

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There you go.

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